Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but some of these students literally *did not have money for lunch*. You raised enough that in addition to transportation we ALSO had a lunch fund to make sure no one went hungry. Seriously, no words, just endless, bone-deep gratitude. ❤️

Today’s trip to the Art Museum was absolutely amazing, and I could never have done it without all of you. Thank you for loving my students as much as I do. ❤️

I am going to be so fucking happy when I’m done with this project, I can’t even tell you. The model has failed literally every test I’ve put it through, and it isn’t even close — and it’ll tell you straight up that it can’t do even a fraction of what people say it can. It’s an empty suit.

I think we’re safe from AI, you guys.

Context: wrote to OpenAI outlining its catastrophic failures in a research project, including its own model telling me “yeah we don’t really even listen to feedback at all”… And promptly received an AI-generated form response. Beyond parody. This bubble isn’t going to burst so much as EXPLODE.

In less-dumb news: art museum trip this week! Going to use the catastrophic AI test failure to emphasize what we’ve known all along: there’s nothing without the human element, in everything.

This is unintentionally the single funniest thing that has ever happened to me in nearly five years of working in EdTech. Seriously, this is amazing. Guys, if you need to feel better about AI taking over… this should do it.

Coming soon: an essay titled “I Tested ChatGPT for Research. It Nearly Ruined 30 Years of Work in Two Minutes” (I was testing it for work by having it look for my childhood stuffed pig and JFC it’s terrifying: not because of what it can do, but what it PRETENDS it can.)

The anniversary of my best friend passing and apparently I’m channeling my grief into a thesis-level investigation of the provenance of my childhood stuffed pig. (If you want to know about the landscape of Korean-manufactured microbatch plush in the 80s, I’ve got you COVERED.)

They couldn’t let us bask in the joy of victory for even 1 week. All they gave us was 5 days. Couldn’t even get us to a week of being hopeful. All that goodwill and joy and happiness that maybe the Democratic Party really can do something right, all of it tossed in the trash pile. Sigh…

Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage

If you see a lull in posting about the field trip, I just don’t want to give away too many details for the sake of privacy/keeping my students safe (I’ve been doxxed before, so). It IS happening this month thanks to you guys and I can’t wait to talk about it. ❤️

To clarify, I’m still doing a last editing pass — I’ll post it around Thanksgiving since it’s a Christmas story. Kind of. It takes place during Christmas, at least.

I think I’m just going to give it away as a thing for the holidays — donate $20 or more to a food bank near you and toss me the receipt and I’ll send you the EPUB. People get to eat and you don’t even have to read it, everyone wins!

Listening to a lot of Gordon Lightfoot ahead of an activity with my students on Tuesday and my God did that man know how to write. “Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours” may be the single greatest lyric ever written, period.

I spent most of my Friday stocking shelves in our campus food pantry. We’ve seen a 200% increase in need. I don’t know how any of us are surviving.

i was a regifted child

Reylos, we have too many great fan artists and manip makers for you to be using Al. Stop it.

I'm absolutely thrilled to share that my dragon riding romantasy story, "On the Wing of a Prayer," will be published by Flame Tree Press next March in the anthology OF LOVE AND DRAGONS! 🥳 You can check out the TOC and preorder here: blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-goth... #WriteSky #BookSky

Every time I go back to working on novel edits I am both prouder of what I’ve written AND even more painfully aware that it’s way too niche to ever sell

Employment lawyer here: the number of male employers who genuinely believe they should be able to sleep with their female employees and pay working mothers less than working fathers is most of them. They genuinely believe that it is an injustice against them that they might face repercussions.

I got both my flu shot and a COVID booster today and regret my decisions.

As much as I’m riding the high of NJ staying blue, I’m even happier that the grade-A MAGA asshole on my hometown school board appears to have lost his longtime seat. Local politics matter.

Gentlemen: thank you for your service.

There are more of us than there are of them.

God we needed this over here 🥺 so grateful NJ is staying blue!

Update: bomb threats and voting machine problems across the state, because God knows if they can't win fairly they'll cheat and intimidate their way in. Keeping fingers crossed for all of the poll workers across NJ (and the country) today. I hate it here.

I know all eyes are on NYC but today is a major Election Day in New Jersey as well — please pray that my state stays blue, especially since we tend to trade off with our governors. :\

Extremely cool field trip/fundraising update: right now I'm in negotiations with my college to potentially MATCH your donations and contribute the same amount we raised to our foundation for underserved students. More to come but this has gotten so big and I'm good-overwhelmed.

It’s still remarkable that Disney produced - and released - this segment in 1940. A horror short that should rank with its Universal monster movie contemporaries… The animation is lush and experimental, and really shows off the Disney special animated effects team…

Update: they absolutely now think I’m in the mob.

“Disney turned down a movie about Han & Leia’s son, but they’re about to release a movie about Jabba the Hutt’s son instead” has got to be the most ludicrous way you can phrase it

Isn’t this the episode of IASIP where the gang tries to win an award

I hope The Reylos appreciate that the best bus pricing seems to be with a company called — wait for it — Starr Tours.

My sister: What did you say to them when you said the trip is back on? Me: I said I’ll explain in class but I figure I’ll just tell them I know some extremely cool people and to not ask any questions. My sister: …they’re gonna think you’re in the mob. Me:

…I love this fandom SO. FUCKING. MUCH. and I need to go cry now. 😭❤️ Thank you for caring about my kids as much as I do. ❤️❤️❤️

...you guys. I just came back from class and... you've nearly hit the goal. No words, just... a lot of crying in my office and endless love and gratitude. I love this fandom so fucking much, I can't. I owe you all individual thanks, but sincerely, from the bottom of my heart: thank you. ❤️

Realistically I know there's no way we're going to be able to raise the amount of money for transportation, but I want them to know that I fought for them, even if the high school didn't. :\

Officially got the veto today so... if you have a few spare dollars and would like to contribute to the Bus Fund, here's my Ko-Fi. (I'm thinking up donation tiers. Like me writing a thing, promising NOT to write a thing, letting my students roast me on livestream... etc.) ko-fi.com/thereylovoid...

when does the zamboni come out

*shuffles back* still baseball huh

*bleary-eyed shuffle to the kitchen for a midnight snack* is it still baseball

So I’ve been trying very, very hard to take my high school class on a field trip and getting kneecapped by bureaucratic red tape. This is a Title I school. The trip should have been paid for. But… sigh. See below. If anyone in the Philly area knows a good bus company that owes you a favor lmk 🫠

my reylo version of "the shadow" by edmund blair leighton 🌅 #TheHuntForBenSolo

Post a legendary scene (*Tied with Vader yeeting Palpatine in ROTJ for my favorite Star Wars moment ever, in anything, which makes sense since they rhyme and all)

More than six sentences, but right after TROS I started working on (but never finished) a fic where Rose, feeling sidelined, ultimately stumbles across Ben’s Force Ghost and they end up having a bonding moment. Feels like a good piece to pick up for RFFA. 👀

if the interview with Adam Driver about the Hunt for Ben Solo movie was a trial balloon by Disney to gauge interest (and position the fandom as champions of a movie that didn’t get made, until they ‘made it happen’), then consider me a focus group sample when I say please give us this movie

It’s literally been ten years, I’m sorry but I just do not remotely care what anyone still salty about Kylo/Ben has to say at this point.